Where the Hotel Bar Is Part of the Experience
There is something special about a great hotel bar. From glamorous grand-hotel institutions and dark, intimate cocktail bars to rooftop hangouts and effortlessly cool neighbourhood spots, these are places worth checking into for—even if you never leave the bar. Bar Culture celebrates hotels where drinks, design, atmosphere and people come together, and where the bar isn’t simply an amenity, but part of the hotel’s identity.
Savoy Hotel | Copenhagen, Denmark An Art Nouveau Landmark with a Calm Scandinavian Heart Why DNA Hotels Loves It ● Housed within Denmark's first true Art Nouveau masterpiece, designed by architect Anton Rosen and completed in 1907. ● Historic architectural grandeur gives way to understated Scandinavian interiors that prioritise comfort, simplicity, and calm. ● A…
read moreThe Blue Mansion – George Town, Penang, Malaysia Cheong Fatt Tze’s extraordinary indigo mansion turns a stay in George Town into an encounter with living Straits-Chinese history. Why DNA Hotels Loves It ● One of Penang’s great architectural landmarks: an indigo-blue Straits-Chinese mansion combining Southern Chinese principles with Gothic windows, Scottish ironwork and European decorative…
read moreSofitel Sydney Wentworth, Australia A 1960s Modernist Landmark Reborn with Australian Warmth and a Touch of French Glamour Why DNA Hotels Loves It ● Sydney’s original international five-star hotel, opened in 1966, has emerged from a AUD 70 million transformation that celebrates rather than erases its mid-century identity. ● FK’s “Modern Heritage” approach retains the…
read moreThe Dolder Grand, Zürich, Switzerland A Belle Époque Landmark Elevated by Contemporary Architecture and World-Class Art Why DNA Hotels Loves It ● Norman Foster's bold contemporary wings transform a nineteenth-century palace into one of Europe's most striking examples of historic and modern architecture in dialogue. ● An exceptional art collection featuring works by Salvador Dalí,…
read moreHotel Arbaso | San Sebastián, Spain Basque heritage reinterpreted through stone, oak, leather, and quiet contemporary craft Why DNA Hotels Loves It ● Local studio Fiark Architecture Studio uses Basque materials, references, and craftsmanship without turning heritage into decoration. ● The 50 rooms and suites combine oak floors, linen, leather, palm fibre, steel, and bespoke…
read moreHotel Pez Espada – Torremolinos, Spain Where Costa del Sol Glamour Never Went Out of Style Why DNA Hotels Loves It ● One of the most iconic hotels on the Costa del Sol and a pioneer of Mediterranean resort culture. ● A thoughtful renovation that celebrates its 1959 origins while introducing contemporary comfort and elegance.…
read moreSIXTY DC, Washington, D.C. Bauhaus Bones, Mid-Century Soul Why DNA Hotels Loves It ● A sophisticated reinterpretation of a Bauhaus-inspired building, where mid-century modern design meets contemporary boutique hospitality. ● Atmospheric social spaces, from the Mediterranean rooftop restaurant Casamara to the intimate, hidden Reynold's cocktail bar. ● A stylish Dupont Circle address that captures Washington's…
read moreAliée Istanbul Where Ottoman Heritage Meets Cinematic Luxury Why DNA Hotels Loves It ● A spectacular transformation of historic Ottoman shipyard buildings into one of Istanbul’s most ambitious design hotels. ● Interiors by Dayna Lee and Ted Berner that feel part palace, part theatre set, part collector’s dream. ● A destination in its own right,…
read moreLos Felices Ibiza | Cala de Bou, Spain A technicolour Palm Springs fantasy where 1960s resort glamour collides with fashion, pool culture, and Ibiza irreverence Why DNA Hotels Loves It ● Ibiza-born hotelier Diego Calvo and Ilmiodesign turn Palm Springs modernism into an unapologetically colourful resort fantasy rather than another whitewashed Ibiza retreat. ● Fashion…
read moreThe Hoxton, Edinburgh, Scotland Georgian townhouses, playful interiors and Hoxton energy in Edinburgh’s elegant West End. Why DNA Hotels Loves It ● Eleven Georgian-inspired townhouses transformed by AIME Studios without smoothing away their original proportions and architectural quirks. ● A characterful mix of Scottish references, mid-century furniture and playful details that feels unmistakably Hoxton without…
read moreAl Moudira – Luxor, Egypt An Arabesque fantasy on Luxor’s West Bank, where painted domes, antique-filled rooms and jasmine gardens create a world seemingly untouched by time. Why DNA Hotels Loves It ● Conceived by Lebanese-Italian designer Zeina Aboukheir with Egyptian architect Olivier Sednaoui, Al Moudira was built using traditional materials and techniques to feel…
read moreHotel Sosei MGallery Collection | Sapporo, JapanA design-driven tribute to Hokkaido’s frontier spirit, where industrial heritage, contemporary luxury, and Japanese craftsmanship converge. Why DNA Hotels Loves It ● One of Japan’s most compelling adaptive-reuse hotels, transforming part of Sapporo’s historic brewery district into a sophisticated design destination.● Design Studio Crow masterfully weaves Hokkaido’s pioneering history…
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